Network Analysis of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Social Support, and Suicide Risk among Korean Adolescents

Network Analysis of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Social Support, and Suicide Risk among Korean Adolescents | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Network Analysis of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Social Support, and Suicide Risk among Korean Adolescents Min Sun Kim, Sung Man Bae This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9258790/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Adolescent suicide is a leading cause of death in South Korea, where exam-oriented education and strong parental expectations are pervasive. Although depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are established risk factors, most studies have examined them in isolation, neglecting their interdependence and the role of protective resources such as self-esteem and social support. Network analysis offers a systems framework to capture these interrelations and highlight potential targets for prevention. Data were obtained from the 2021 Korean Youth Mental Health Survey (N = 5,937; Grades 4–12). Psychological, behavioral, and contextual variables—including suicidality, depression, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, self-esteem, perceived stress, and social support—were analyzed using the EBICglasso approach to estimate the network structure. Centrality indices were calculated, and robustness was evaluated through bootstrapping. The network revealed robust associations, with depression–anxiety and the ideation–planning–attempt sequence emerging as particularly stable connections. Four major communities were identified: (1) school adjustment and social support, (2) ADHD symptoms, stress, and self-related factors, (3) negative parenting practices, and (4) emotional distress and suicidality. Self-esteem and depression showed the highest centrality, while stress and ADHD cognition emerged as potential bridging nodes. Adolescent suicide risk in South Korea is embedded in a multidimensional network of emotional, behavioral, and relational factors. Prevention efforts may benefit from strengthening self-esteem and social support, while addressing depression and stress as potential bridge variables. Network analysis thus provides a promising framework for identifying high-impact and culturally sensitive targets for suicide prevention. adolescent suicide network analysis emotional and behavioral problems social support Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files supplementaryfile.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 22 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 21 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 06 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 05 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9258790","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":627459031,"identity":"fe71e524-2663-422b-af18-47dbddad372c","order_by":0,"name":"Min Sun Kim","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Dankook University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Min","middleName":"Sun","lastName":"Kim","suffix":""},{"id":627459034,"identity":"0b3ce374-2c9d-446c-a258-c5a820632751","order_by":1,"name":"Sung Man Bae","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA8UlEQVRIie3PPQrCMBiA4S8U6iJ2TSavECnEpXiWSKFdnMVRKNRFcI14iYjg5FDp4NIDdHAwCJ0cnMRN488kGh0d8kJCCDzkC4DN9pehIXC4dDy96yPQ5903wp2QDH8nt7iDZPYrac6S9KjOruNvwkqJQeBDLd+h6eozodt1IjivN1hRtVuyiBjUI4pkZSC4m+i/YIeVnBGV5gFAD9AuMwwm7oSihYhPD+IdzATKO+FI4h4j8zRngPUr0kBufwEeZSEuDn0iish3cUXXwjTYbLRH5yDreKN4ScaDoDXxQqXGpsHw64Wrlwm8ITabzWZ77QrhY1UZWHWo/gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Dankook University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sung","middleName":"Man","lastName":"Bae","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-29 12:38:40","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9258790/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9258790/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108491851,"identity":"c68280ee-2bd7-4130-b3df-1e31441f0521","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-05 09:55:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":904370,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript260405.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9258790/v1_covered_88f56c66-34db-40e3-9a7d-68e9f6675e2c.pdf"},{"id":108238272,"identity":"af16fe9a-e052-4088-bcc3-37999b8f3f5c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-30 19:36:02","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":23714,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"supplementaryfile.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9258790/v1/2cfff6270eb0aee6746302e4.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Network Analysis of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Social Support, and Suicide Risk among Korean Adolescents","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"adolescent suicide, network analysis, emotional and behavioral problems, social support","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9258790/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9258790/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eAdolescent suicide is a leading cause of death in South Korea, where exam-oriented education and strong parental expectations are pervasive. Although depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are established risk factors, most studies have examined them in isolation, neglecting their interdependence and the role of protective resources such as self-esteem and social support. Network analysis offers a systems framework to capture these interrelations and highlight potential targets for prevention. Data were obtained from the 2021 Korean Youth Mental Health Survey (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5,937; Grades 4\u0026ndash;12). Psychological, behavioral, and contextual variables\u0026mdash;including suicidality, depression, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, self-esteem, perceived stress, and social support\u0026mdash;were analyzed using the EBICglasso approach to estimate the network structure. Centrality indices were calculated, and robustness was evaluated through bootstrapping. The network revealed robust associations, with depression\u0026ndash;anxiety and the ideation\u0026ndash;planning\u0026ndash;attempt sequence emerging as particularly stable connections. Four major communities were identified: (1) school adjustment and social support, (2) ADHD symptoms, stress, and self-related factors, (3) negative parenting practices, and (4) emotional distress and suicidality. Self-esteem and depression showed the highest centrality, while stress and ADHD cognition emerged as potential bridging nodes. Adolescent suicide risk in South Korea is embedded in a multidimensional network of emotional, behavioral, and relational factors. Prevention efforts may benefit from strengthening self-esteem and social support, while addressing depression and stress as potential bridge variables. 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